Sanitary seat wipes

ABSTRACT

A novel wipe for use in wiping inanimate surfaces that may be contaminated with a wet residue, comprises a towelette that is impregnated with a solution for the promotion of a quick drying cleansing of the surface. The solution is an alcohol matrix, which is predominantly comprised of a preferred alcohol (isopropyl) and a wetting agent and a water fraction. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a wipe is comprised of a cellulosic absorbent layer and a barrier film, where the barrier film and the absorbent layer are bonded together to form the wipe. The barrier film is selected from a group of plastic films that are biodegradable.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING GOVERNMENTALLY FUNDED WORK

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sanitary seat wipe. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a disposable seat wipethat can be used to clean the surface of a toilet seat before usage.

The issue of the conditions of public restrooms has been a longstandingmatter, both from a health and well-being standpoint as well as thesubject of many jokes and legends. In actuality, the prevalence ofvarious communicable diseases ranging from STDs (sexually transmitteddiseases), HI, viral infections to threats from other sources ofcontamination are very real and the average person does have secondthoughts when confronting the decision to use a public restroom of anykind.

One of the issues that is particularly sensitive with respect to publicrestrooms is the condition of the toilet seat itself There are concernsthat pathogens or other contamination may be located on the toilet seatand thus can be transferred by contact with a user. This concern isperhaps, logically so, more acute with respect to women than it would befor men, nonetheless the issue is confronted by both men and women andthe perception of the threat to both genders is very real. It iscommonly known that some public restrooms will supply sanitary seatcovers which are essentially a vellum-like paper that is shaped togenerally fit the average toilet seat with the purpose of providingbarrier protection between the surface of the toilet seat and the skinof the user. It is also known, however, that these paper covers do notalways fit correctly, or they are subject to being dislocated whilebeing used, in addition to the fact that the barrier protection is noteffective if the toilet seat is wet.

A wipe that is directed towards use for disinfecting telephonemouthpieces, toilet seats and other surfaces, is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 4,998,984 (McClendon) where a tissue substrate is impregnated withsolutions that are engineered to disinfect such surfaces. The solutionstaught in McClendon, though, do not promote the drying of the affectedsurface (especially a toilet seat) and have the tendency to leave achemical residue that itself may be objectionable and/or irritating to auser.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,730 (McClymonds) teaches a dispenser thatcontains both dry and wet towelettes. The wet wipes are held in acontainer that maintains their saturation and similar other types ofcontainers are referenced for the retention of wet towelettes.McClymonds does not teach a sanitary wet wipe of any specificcomposition; it merely teaches the use of a container for retaining sucha product.

A composition for a moist towelette is disclosed in U.S. PatentApplication No. 2003/0045191 A1 (Goldstein, et al) where the toweletteis impregnated with an aqueous solution that include polymeric binder(s)and a wetting agent. The towelette of Goldstein is intended to provide amore robust (higher tensile strength) wipe than was previouslyavailable. The invention does not teach a sanitary wipe that is directedtowards the cleansing and drying of a surface such as a toilet seat.

The function of the wet wipes known in the art is directed towardsseveral discrete and different objectives. One of these objectives isthe application of a disinfectant to attempt to eliminate pathogens andbacteria from a surface. Another objective that is known is to provide atissue that will impart a lotion such that using the wipe on the skin ofa person will have a soothing or restorative effect. Yet anotherobjective known in the prior art tissues is the use of chemistrydesigned to wet and clean a surface using an aqueous and organic salts.None of the prior art tissues have been shown to have functions directedtowards the drying of a surface, such as a toilet seat, notwithstandingthe drying of a surface with a towelette that is optimized for use by aperson.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A novel tissue directed for dispensing in public restrooms, comprises awipe that is retained in a pre-moistened state and is impregnated with aliquid composition that effective in wiping and removing wetness on aninanimate surface. The liquid composition is comprised of from about 70%to about 95% alcohol matrix, with a wetting agent comprising betweenabout 5 PPM (parts per million) to about 25 PPM, and a quantity ofwater. The composition may further include the addition of a fragrancein effective ranges of concentration to impart a cosmetically appealingscent to the tissue.

In one version of the tissue of the present invention, a barrier film isincluded on one side of the wipe as the side to be handled by the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a wipe dispenser for use indispensing tissues and/or wipes of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of an alternate embodiment of the wipe ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A novel wipe in accordance with the present invention is shown in anapplication in the drawings and is discussed in detail herein.Specifically, the wipe is comprised of a non-woven cellulosic materialthat may be provided on a roll or in individual towelettes and issaturated with a solution that promotes the cleansing and drying of asurface. The usage of the wipe is directed towards such surfaces such ascounter-tops, toilet seats, knobs and handles, and other inanimatesurfaces that may be focal points for the accumulation of contaminationwhether this is chemical contamination or biological contamination.

One application of the present invention is for the use in cleaning anddrying toilet seats before use. On occasion, it is known that a toiletseat, particularly in a public restroom, may have residual quantities ofurine on the surface of the sitting area. This condition is offensive tousers of the restroom and the usual remedy is for the user to apply somequantity of toilet paper to the wetness and through a combination ofspreading the urine and absorbing it, the toilet seat is returned to asubstantially dry surface. This procedure is still less than desirablesince the typical toilet paper product in a public restroom is ofnominal thickness and absorption which may require copious amounts ofthe tissue on the one hand, or on the other, it a lesser quantity willsubject the user to direct contact with the urine contamination as itsoaks through the tissue. Lastly, the urine contamination has not beeneliminated in a strict sense since a good part of it has merely beenspread across the surface of the toilet seat allowing it to dry therebyleaving a urine residue.

The wipe of the present invention differs from the prior art in severalways, including the way it handles the foregoing example of urinecontamination. The wipe will absorb some of the urine contamination, andwill also apply a solution that will sanitize the surface of the toiletseat (or other such surface) negating the effects of any residualcontamination with respect to biological hazards. The size of the wipewill vary from application to application, however it should be smallenough to be used with one hand, and it needs to be large enough to beable to cleanse a good portion of the surface of a toiler seat. A sizeof approximately 3″ by 4″ is determined to be suitable for use althoughthis dimension is not exclusive. It may be advisable for the user toemploy multiple wipes for a given application, however the contaminationmay only be present on a limited area allowing the user to modify theamount of wipes to be used accordingly.

The chemical solution found in the wipes of the present invention isbased upon an alcohol matrix. The preferred alcohol is isopropyl alcoholwhich evaporates very quickly when exposed to an open environment. Ethylalcohol and denatured ethyl alcohol can also be used in the wipe of thepresent invention although ethyl alcohol and denatured ethyl alcohol donot exhibit the evaporation properties of isopropyl alcohol nor do theyappear to work as well in sanitizing surfaces. The preference for analcohol matrix results from the need of the user to have a dry surfaceshortly after using the product. Leaving a wet film on the surface ofthe toilet does not appreciably elevate the comfort level in using it,in fact it may represent a detriment as compared to the originalcondition the user was confronting. Therefore a need arose for a quickdrying matrix that could be applied to the toilet seat that would becompatible with the objecting of cleansing the toilet seat surface.

The usage of alcohols with towelettes is contrary to the usualpreference. Most compositions for moist towelettes are focused on thecompatibility with contact with human skin. These types of toweletteswill contain a substantial amount of water along with admixtures ofemollients, fragrances, and similar compounds directed towards skintreatment. There are other towelettes that are known in the art that aredirected towards specific cleaning tasks, such as described in McClendonabove, where the chemicals used include bactericides and viralcides thatare meant to disinfect a surface to a degree far greater than would becontemplated in the present invention. In fact, these types oftowelettes are not suitable for the use intended in the toilet seat typeapplication since they do not promote the quick drying that the presentinvention achieves.

The cellulosic towel construction is well known in the art, and in thecase of the preferred embodiment it is a conventional type of toweletteconstruction. The towelette of the preferred embodiment is saturatedwith a solution comprising isopropyl alcohol, a wetting agent,fragrance, and a fraction of water. The preferred admixtures are asfollows:

TABLE 1 Component Min Max Pref Isopropyl Alcohol   70% 99%   85% WettingAgent 5 PPM 25 PPM 10 PPM Fragrance Trace Trace Trace Water <30% <1%<15%

As may be appreciated from Table 1, isopropyl alcohol represents the keyproperties at work in the wipe of the present invention, although theuse of the wetting agent is indicated in order to promote the rapidextension of the film across the surface being cleansed therebyincreasing the rate of evaporation that will be experienced. In thepresent embodiment, a wetting agent such as one obtained from thegeneral group of lauryl sulfate based wetting agents would be preferred.This is the case even though there are a few idiosyncratic dermalallergies known to be provoked by the lauryl sulfate based wettingagents (of which there are many with properties that can be selected byone skilled in the art) however under the circumstances of the presentembodiment, the actual concentration of wetting agent that would be lefton the surface of a toilet seat, for example, would be very negligible.Much of wetting agent, as would any contaminants that are picked upduring the wiping, would be retained within the alcohol matrix containedin the wipe itself.

It is possible to use ethyl alcohol in place of isopropyl alcohol in thepresent invention. Ethyl alcohol does not evaporate as quickly asisopropyl alcohol nor does it possess the antibacterial properties tothe same degree that isopropyl alcohol demonstrates. The concentrationsfor using ethyl alcohol would be increased over that for isopropyl inorder to retain an adequate quick drying response in the wipe. The useof pure ethyl alcohol is not proposed for the reason that it is a highlyregulated chemical. Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol with variousother chemicals (adulterants) included, usually methanol or methyl ethylketone or sometimes even aviation gasoline. The usage of the adulterantsdissuades consumption of the product by an individual. Denatured alcoholis readily available and is not regulated as is pure ethyl alcohol. Arange of useful solutions using a denatured ethyl alcohol would appearas shown in Table 2:

TABLE 2 Chemical Min Max Pref Ethyl Alcohol   80% 99%   90% WettingAgent 5 PPM 25 PPM 10 PPM Fragrance Trace Trace Trace Water <20% <1%<10%

The resulting solution, in either case, will be a clear liquid that willhave very quick drying properties and which will generally impart amoderate disinfectant effect when wiped across a surface. The effect,when used, will be to use the towelette as a wipe, causing it to beswiped across the intended surface, allowing the alcohol matrix tocombine with the liquid residue (typically urine) which will thenpromote the quick drying of the residue and the alcohol matrixcombination. As suggested above, the use of the wetting agent helps topromote this action by spreading any film out, exposing more of thecombined residue and alcohol matrix to the air, which will speed therate of evaporation.

With reference to the drawings, a dispenser for supplying the wipes ofthe present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-6, showing the dispenser 10with the dispenser mount 12 and the mounting holes 14. The dispenser iscomprised largely of the canister 16 which contains the wipes 20. At thebottom of the canister, as seen in FIG. 6, there is an access opening 22for gaining access to the wipes which are stored inside the canister 16.Usually this is accomplished at the tear lines on each wipe such thatwhen a wipe is pulled from the canister it is torn off from thesucceeding wipe, leaving a bit of the succeeding wipe exposed (as can beseen in FIG. 1). The usage of a dispenser is preferred since the alcoholmatrix of the wipe will dry out quickly if it is left exposed. There aresealable carry-packs that are known in the art and these would similarlyretard the drying of the wipes. The advantage of the dispenser is thefact that it can be placed conveniently within the restroom, preferablyon the inner wall of the stall the user is planning on using. Since inthe preferred embodiment the wipe is constructed of biodegradablematerials, the wipes can be used and then deposited within the toiletand flushed for disposal.

In FIG. 7, an alternate embodiment of the wipe is shown where the wipe20 is comprised of the absorbent layer (tissue portion) 30 and a barrierfilm 32. The absorbent layer 30 is the cellulosic construction of thetype that is generally used for tissues and as referred to above in thediscussion regarding the previous embodiment. Bonded to the absorbentlayer 30 is the barrier film 32 which is comprised of a biodegradableplastic of the type that is known in the art. For instance, modifiedpolyesters, rayons, and other plastic films are known that arebiodegradable and which can be made into films. Suppliers of suchproducts abound and include Britton Taco, located in Chesire, England,which offers specialty plastic films for the production of biodegradablediapers.

In this embodiment, the use of the barrier film provides an enhanceddegree of protection to the user. By separating the contact of the userfrom the absorbent portion of the wipe, there is no contact with thealcohol matrix (which may itself be objectionable to some users) andthere is no contact with any of the contaminants that are picked up bythe wipe when it is being used. This occurs because the user can accessthe wipe from the dispenser from the barrier film side only and thenretain this orientation as he/she uses the wipe on the subject surface.This keeps the absorbent side of the wipe in contact with the surfaceand the barrier film, as the name implies, is impervious to any of thechemicals that are in the absorbent layer. The user is able, therefore,to avoid direct contact with the alcohol matrix and/or the contaminants.

Another advantage to using this alternate embodiment is that the barrierfilm can help to retard the loss of the alcohol matrix once thedispenser is opened for use. The interposing of the impervious layerhelps to retain the saturation level of the wipes. This will obviouslyincrease the shelf life and the effective life of the product oncedeployed for use.

It is understood that variations on the present invention and theembodiments discussed herein can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the concept. The teachings are meant to illustratethe invention and illuminate its potential uses and versions and are notmeant to limit or inhibit the scope of the concept.

1. A wipe for use in cleansing an inanimate surface that has beencontaminated, where the wipe is premoistened and exhibits quick dryingproperties, the wipe comprising: A tissue portion comprised of acellulosic material capable of absorbing a liquid; and, A chemicalsolution comprising an alcohol matrix impregnating said tissue portion,the alcohol matrix comprised of a select alcohol fraction, and a waterfraction, the alcohol fraction selected from the group of isopropyl,ethyl alcohol, or denatured alcohol, and comprising not less than 70%.2. The wipe of claim Number 1, where the select alcohol is isopropylalcohol in the range of concentration of 70% to 99%.
 3. The wipe ofclaim Number 1, where the select alcohol is an ethyl alcohol in therange of 80% to 99%.
 4. The wipe of claim Number 1, where the selectalcohol is a denatured ethyl alcohol in the range of 80% to 99%.
 5. Thewipe of claim Number 1, where the alcohol matrix further includes awetting agent.
 6. A wipe for use in cleansing an inanimate surface thathas been contaminated, where the wipe is premoistened and exhibits quickdrying properties, the wipe comprising: A tissue portion comprised of acellulosic material capable of absorbing a liquid, and, A chemicalsolution comprising an alcohol matrix impregnating said tissue portion,the alcohol matrix comprised of a select alcohol fraction, a waterfraction, and a wetting agent, the alcohol fraction selected from thegroup of isopropyl, ethyl alcohol, or denatured alcohol, and comprisingnot less than 70%.
 7. The wipe of claim Number 6, where the wettingagent is selected from the group of lauryl sulfate wetting agents. 8.The wipe of claim Number 6, where the select alcohol is isopropylalcohol in the range of concentration of 70% to 99%.
 9. The wipe ofclaim Number 6, where the select alcohol is an ethyl alcohol in therange of 80% to 99%.
 10. The wipe of claim Number 6, where the selectalcohol is a denatured alcohol in the range of 80% to 99%.
 11. A wipefor use in cleansing an inanimate surface that has been contaminated,where the wipe is premoistened and exhibits quick drying properties, thewipe comprising: A tissue portion comprised of a cellulosic materialcapable of absorbing a liquid; A barrier film portion bonded to one sideof said tissue portion; A chemical solution comprising an alcohol matriximpregnating said tissue portion, the alcohol matrix comprised of aselect alcohol fraction, a water fraction, and a wetting agent, thealcohol fraction selected from the group of isopropyl, ethyl alcohol, ordenatured alcohol, and comprising not less than 70%; and, Where saidbarrier film is available for use by a user in holding the wipe withoutthe user coming into direct contact with the tissue portion of the wipe.12. The wipe of claim Number 11, where the wetting agent is selectedfrom the group of lauryl sulfate wetting agents.
 13. The wipe of claimNumber 11, where the select alcohol is isopropyl alcohol in the range ofconcentration of 70% to 99%.
 14. The wipe of claim Number 11, where theselect alcohol is an ethyl alcohol in the range of 80% to 99%.
 15. Thewipe of claim Number 11, where the select alcohol is a denatured alcoholin the range of 80% to 99%.
 16. The wipe of claim Number 11, where thebarrier film portion is comprised of a biodegradable plastic.